Square One
by Silverowl61
Summary: A year after the Second Wizarding War, things have returned as much as they can to normal. Hermione has her plan all laid out, but groundbreaking news of a marriage law at graduation erases everything she had planned for her future. Will she still be able to hold on to her very best friends, while following the law? Link to cover in bio
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

The first rays of the summer sun shone through the windows of the Great Hall, as the small procession of people filed through its doors. Murmurs and laughter floated around the room, but there was an feeling of uncertainty lingering through the air. The crowd began sat down in the chairs that had been magically conjured for the event. Professor McGonagall tapped her wand on the podium about to begin, but suddenly the doors of the hall burst open, with two men running inside to their respectful seats. Hermione peered over her shoulder, and tsked upsetly.

"Ron!" She whispered, raising her hand high so that he could spot her.

"Harry!" The red haired girl next to her called to the raven-haired boy sprinting down the aisle with the red-haired one. They made their way to their seats, and Ron pecked Hermione's cheek lovingly.

"Hullo, 'mione." He murmured, wrapping his arm around her in a tight embrace. She squeezed back, but also looked at him disapprovingly.

"The one day I tell you _**not**_ to be late, and what do you do? Get yourself in trouble." Hermione complained. Ron kissed her gently, and shrugged his shoulders.

"It's only graduation, Hermione. It's not the end of the world." Harry said, leaning over Ginny. Hermione frowned, and straightened her primrose robes and her newly slicked hair. Ginny grinned affectionately.

"I told you the purple would look best on you." She cooed, straightening her own emerald robes. Harry smiled nostalgically, and sighed.

"We're about to leave this place… forever," He said. "Eight years after we started." Hermione sighed as well.

"I'm just glad Professor McGonagall allowed us to repeat seventh year with the rest of our year. Imagine the job opportunities that we would have been offered if we didn't finish our school!" She whispered, mortified.

"Oh shove it, Hermione. You already have a job at the Ministry, why else would you care?" Ron asked. She shrugged in response, then turned to the front where Professor McGonagall was giving her speech.

"... this year, the Ministry would like to implement an experimental law that will help decrease the amount of social injustice that has been created and acted upon over the last 50 years. This law will place two people who have been strategically and personally placed together in a relationship, one of which the law requires matrimony to be instituted within 10 months. This law is only experimental, though the Ministry does expect applicable results. We will begin the sorting in a moment." Hermione glanced over at Ron, her expression horrified.

"They might not put us together." She whispered, her arms wrapped around his neck, and her face buried in his robes. He stroked her hair lovingly.

"It'll be alright. McGonagall knows us, she knows that we were meant to go together. I promise that we'll stay together, no matter what." He cooed. Harry glanced over at his best friend, his face totally alarmed. Both men were scared of losing the ones they loved most. Ginny traced Harry's face with her hand.

"I love you, no matter what happens." Both women whispered to their boyfriends.

"May I please have Mr. Longbottom come up to the stage?" Professor McGonagall called. Neville rose out of his seat, and ambled down the aisle to the stage. He sat in the chair next to McGonagall, and gulped loudly. McGonagall brought out a tattered piece of brown fabric; the Sorting Hat.

"We're getting our soul mates chosen by the hat?" Ron whispered, in shock. Hermione nodded, then watched as McGonagall placed the hat on Neville's head. It sat there contemplatively for a moment, then screamed out, " _Luna Lovegood!"_ Neville sighed in relief, and jumped off the stage to go join Luna. The audience clapped loudly, hopefully they would all get their boyfriends or girlfriends.

"Next may I have Ms. Parvati Patil?" Professor McGonagall asked. Parvati bounced onto the stage, then sat down on the stool. The hat barely touched her head when it screamed, " _Dean Thomas!"_ Parvati squealed with delight and ran down to sit next to him.

"Can I have Ms. Weasley, please?" Ginny squeezed Harry's hand, and slowly walked up the aisle. Professor McGonagall placed the hat gently on Ginny's fiery hair, and it sat there for a moment. Finally, it opened its brim, and shouted, " _Harry Potter!"_ She sighed in relief, and ran into Harry's waiting arms. Hermione looked over at Ron, who now seemed really nervous.

"What if someone else gets you?" Ron whispered mortified. Hermione sharply inhaled.

"Don't say that. We both know we're meant to be." She said, looking down at the floor.

"May I have Ms. Pansy Parkinson?" Professor McGonagall asked. The Slytherin girl walked up the aisle proudly, and placed the hat on her jet black bob.

" _Blaise Zabini!"_ The hat yelled. Pansy slumped in her seat, her confidence quenched.

"Guess she didn't end up with that loser Malfoy after all." Ron murmured.

"Look, she had grey robes made to match his dead eyes." Ginny added smirking.

"Shh, McGonagall's gonna call up the next person." Hermione said.

"Next, may I have Miss Hermione Granger?" Professor McGonagall asked. Hermione stood up, her knees knocking.

"Hey, 'Mione, everything's gonna be okay. I love you." Ron said, grabbing her hand. Hermione smiled weakly.

"Of course, I know everything's going to be okay." She said. She walked up the aisle, and sat down on the stool.

"Well, here it goes, Ms. Granger." Professor McGonagall said, smiling and placing the hat on her head.

" _Hmm, aren't you an interesting person. This will be very hard."_ The hat said into Hermione's ear.

"Well, I love Ron so it should be easy." Hermione replied.

" _Love isn't always easy. Hmm, who to pick, who to be with."_

"Ron and I haven't had an easy relationship. It took him seven years to admit he liked me." She said.

" _Well, I think I know my answer."_ The hat said. " _Draco Malfoy!"_

Hermione felt the blood drain from her face. Shocked faces peppered the crowd. Hermione's hands trembled as she took the hat off and placed it on the stool.

"Oh dear, well, go sit with Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley." Professor McGonagall said, looking sympathetic. Hermione walked back slowly to her seat, and then sat down, not making eye contact with Ron.

* * *

The list of names continued on and on until the ceremony was over.

"Now, we ask all of our guests to move into the Main Hall and the students to remain here." Professor McGonagall said. Once the guests had filed out, she spoke again.

"Now, I need all of you to move and sit with your future spouse." Hermione stood up, still not making eye contact with Ron. As she walked past Ginny, the redhead grabbed her friend's hand and squeezed lightly. Hermione looked down, and smiled weakly. She then looked up to find her so-called soulmate.

"Over here, Granger." A drawling voice said behind her. She whipped around to see Draco.

"There you are, we have to go and sit." She said impatiently.

"Now now, I don't like your tone. It's much too cross for someone I'm going to have to spend the rest of my life with." Draco retorted. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Don't think that I'm over the moon about this, hopefully it's only temporary." She said, grabbing his arm and pulling him over to two vacant seats.

"Whoa, slow down Granger. I hope you're not _that_ eager." Draco said slyly. Hermione slapped his arm.

"Can't you be tolerable for one single moment?" She asked, sitting down.

"I'm not already being tolerable? Oh Granger we're going to have a lot of fun." Draco said.

"Oh, do shut up," Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "McGonagall's about to start talking again." And as she said that the headmistress stood up to speak again.

"Now that you have your pairs sorted through, I need to read off the requirements set up by the Ministry. I recommend that you listen very carefully," Professor McGonagall started. "Let's begin,"

" _In accordance with the newly formed Committee of Magical Population Sustainability and Blood Unification, also known as C.O.M.P.S.B.U, the Ministry of Magic is now implementing an experimental law aimed at decreasing the high levels of social injustices that muggleborns and half bloods have been receiving over the past fifty years. The law, coherently titled "The Magical Blood Unification Proclamation" has placed all graduating witches and wizards with their soulmate by means of magic and destiny using an object that is worthy of such a momentous task. When the pairs are made, the goal is to have a pureblood matched with someone of lesser blood status, therefore depleting higher-status bloodlines. The law states that each pair must be wed by exactly 10 months after the Soulmate Ceremony has taken place, and that repopulation of the wizarding community will happen within 2 years of the ceremony. Although the law is only experimental at the moment, the Ministry does expect accurate and ample results. As a result, the Ministry encourages each and every one of the young men and women to accept this law and to embrace its words. The Ministry will have regularly scheduled appointments to check up on the 300 couples to see the law's progress. The Ministry of Magic would like to formally extend an act of thanks to the young men and women who are partaking in this experiment, as in the end, it will be for the better of magical kind."_

McGonagall looked up from the speech, and saw many cloudy expressions.

"I would just like to say that I am proud of each and every one of you. I have known you since you were in first year, and now that you are embarking into the world with the best partner at your side, I have no trouble in seeing any of you reaching less than what you dream for. Just remember, Hogwarts is always here to welcome you home, if you ever may need it." She paused to wipe a small stream of tears off her face. "That will be all. You may join your families in the Main Hall."

The students all stood up shakily, and some walked hand in hand with their partner. Hermione stood up quickly, and looked for Ginny. For one of the first times in her life, she had no idea what she was going to do next.

* * *

 **Hi there!**

 **If you've never read one of my stories before, I'm Liz. This is a story I've been brainstorming since I started reading fanfiction, but just started to write. Please let me know if you have any ideas (I love to implement things that y'all think of) and review! Thanks for checking me out, stay tuned for more!**

 **xx Liz**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Hermione didn't know who she could go to after the ceremony had ended. She wanted to go and find the Weasleys, the only family she had left, but she knew that Ron would be there and she didn't want to tackle that issue yet. Maybe she should just hide in the lavatories until everyone had left. No, that would be childish; she'd done that exact same thing when she was 11 and hid because of a mountain troll. Ron and his family were hardly mountain trolls, but she didn't think she could handle seeing Ron with whatever girl he'd ended up with. She started for the doors out into the Main Hall, but then saw Malfoy hugging Pansy Parkinson. She instantly felt nauseous, for a sweet four minutes she had forgotten that she now had to marry her childhood nemesis, on top of all of her problems. She sat down on a bench, looking for the Weasley's,but something tall and blonde suddenly blocked her sight.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" She asked coolly, glaring at the Slytherin graduate.

"Well, Granger, I think you'll want to take a look at this," He replied, handing her a thick, medium sized, crimson book that read " **Making Marriage Merry; the Ministry of Magic's Guide to the The Magical Blood Unification Proclamation** ". Hermione scoffed.

"This sounds like a self-help book rather than a book designed to help others." She said.

"Well, some second-year idiot was handing them out to all of the graduates and I saw you didn't have one. Just thought a nerd like you would want it." He said icily.

"Well, thank you for your gesture, but it's going to take a little more than insults to make me attempt to be happy in this situation." She countered, flipping through the pages of the manual and reading condescending headings such as " _Not all roses bloom at the same time; what to do if your partner isn't growing on you."_ and " _Some Magic isn't Forever; what to do when the honeymoon wears off"_. She let out a shrill laugh, reading some of the manual's tips on reproducing.

"My god, we're screwed." She muttered.

"What was that, Granger?" Malfoy asked, leaning in and raising a white-blond eyebrow.

"None of your business, ferret." Hermione spat, and she watched haughtily as Malfoy's pale, pointed face turned bright red.

"Listen you-" He started, but a skinny arm gracefully slinked itself around his shoulder and skillfully covered his mouth with its pale hand.

"Aw, Draco, is the little Gryffindor making you upset?" Pansy Parkinson simpered. Her sharp, angled bob and slate grey robes made her appear almost dementor-like in the hall filled with bright colors and festivity.

"No, Pansy, I can handle her myself, love." He said, leaning against the Slytherin girl.

"Pansy, we're trying to talk about our future, if you can excuse us…." Hermione started, but Pansy interrupted her.

"Oh, I'm sorry that you got what I wanted when you didn't even ask for it. How do expect me to stand idly by when you got matched with my soulmate?" Her voice was loud and shrill. "You think you're so high and mighty because you helped bring down the Dark Lord, but mark my words, no human being on this planet deserves to be married to you. You pathetic excuse for a brave Gryffindor." Pansy smirked as she watched Hermione's face tense.

"Well," Hermione said, trying to control the waves of anger crashing down on her. "I'm sort of glad we have these arranged marriages, because they can let girls like you have a chance." She quipped before walking away, leaving two red-faced Slytherins in her path.

* * *

Her vision went blurry, and the next time she registered what she was doing she was up in Gryffindor Tower, nestled in an armchair in front of the dying fire. The last rays of the golden summer sun shone through the windows where she vividly remembered studying for tests and playing Wizarding Chess with Ron and Harry. She smiled as she reminisced, but then she remembered the present day situation. She knew things were never going to be the same again, but oh how she wished they could be. Maybe this was all just a bad dream. She hoped it was just a dream. She shut her eyes and listened to the crackling fire and repetitively told herself it was all just a dream.

"Hermione," Someone called off in the distance. "Hermione, wake up!" Hermione opened her eyes. The sun was in the process of being swallowed by the Black Lake, and the fire flickered happily in its hearth.

"Who's there? What do you want?" She slurred sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"It's me, George." She opened her eyes to see the gangly redhead sitting on the ottoman in front of her.

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked, raising her arms to stretch.

"You've been missing around an hour and a half so I guess around that amount of time. Ron's really worried about you." George said, his voice getting quieter on the last sentence.

"Oh," She remarked, her voice small. "Well, I suppose he shouldn't be. We aren't together anymore apparently, according to the hat." She said, her voice bitter. George placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about the stupid law. There's bound to be numerous complaints from everyone's parents." He said gently.

"But everyone got the person they're with! I got stuck with the person who called me mudblood for seven years straight! I was tortured in his house!" Hermione exclaimed, pulling her sleeve back to show the word scarred into her arm. George winced.

"I'm sure he's changed. Besides, his aunt did that to you, he was trying to escape the Death Eaters then." He countered softly.

"Well, I don't want to marry Draco, I want to marry Ron." She said stubbornly. George's eyes grew wide.

"You-you love Ron that much?" He asked. "I mean we all knew that you liked him and all, but you want to seriously be with him?" Hermione blushed.

"I mean, yeah of course. I've never like, picked out our wedding date or started shopping for a house or anything, but I would write names I liked down in my journal and stuff, assuming they'd end with Weasley, but I guess now they'll have to end in Malfoy." She murmured. George smiled.

"If I may, what names did you write down?" he asked. Hermione blushed.

"Well, I started the list a long time ago, but off the top of my head I remember Alexander, I think, along with Naomi, Josephine, Oliver, and like pages more."

"Well, I'm not trying to encourage this whole arranged-marriage to your enemy thing, but I think the old hat knows what it's up to. Sure, Malfoy was a selfish git who did some awful things, but _was_ is the key word. He seems to have changed after this war. I mean, his father's in Azkaban for life, and his mum was exiled to France for five years, so I assume he's had to adjust." George quickly turned red. "Don't think I'm standing up for the white-haired bouncing ferret though, because any prat who thinks calling you a mudblood, regardless of when he did, should know that if he _ever_ decides to hurt you, he'll have me and the rest of the clan to answer to." Hermione smiled weakly. Ever since Fred's death, she'd noticed how serious George had gotten.

"Thanks George. That really means a lot to me." She said. He leaned in to hug the bushy-haired girl.

"I meant it." He said as he wrapped his arms comfortingly around her. Hermione sighed, and inhaled his scent, which was exactly like his deceased twin's.

"You know, I felt his presence here today," She said softly. "At the ceremony, I could hear him saying 'that's rubbish!' when McGonagall announced the law, just like when Dumbledore said people under 17 couldn't submit their names into the goblet." George laughed weakly.

"He brewed the Age potion, y'know? I suck at Potions, but he sucked at Transfiguration, so we each could help each other when the other couldn't figure it out." Hermione heard him sniffle a bit.

"Hey," She said, pulling away from the hug so she could look into his eyes. "We're all here for you. I know we've been saying that for a year, but we all really mean it." Hermione sniffled. "I lost both of my parents for good, and that's been hard but I'm getting through it. He'll never really be gone, he's in you, and Ron, and Ginny. We're all united by his love, and yeah it totally sucks that he's gone, I wish it didn't have to happen but it did, and now the only thing we can do is honor his life by living." She said softly. George cracked a small smile.

"Thanks 'Mione. I think that, well, I really needed that. Every time I come back here all I can do is see him here and I then I remember he's not there when I turn around to tell him something." Hermione leaned in to hug him again.

"Well, just know I'm always here." She said. George nodded.

"Thanks, Herms. Y'know, no matter how cross you used to get at us, you've always been like a second sister in the Weasley family." Hermione grinned.

"You guys are my family. Since my parents are gone," Hermione paused. "You're the only people I have. Now since I apparently won't be with Ron, I'm not even sure if I'm still allowed to hang out with you guys." George scoffed.

"Don't let a stupid law get in the way of your life Hermione, and you'll always have a home with all of us." Hermione laughed weakly.

"You might take back your offer when I'm living in the basement of your shop."

"Oh, shut it, Hermione. You wouldn't be called the "Brightest Witch of you Age" if you had enough potential to live in my basement." They both laughed.

"Now, are you ready to go down?" Hermione shook her head.

"Not really." George smiled and stood up.

"Well, brave people do things before they're ready." Hermione sighed.

"Why'd you have to pull the brave Gryffindor card?" She whined, standing up.

"Because I knew it would work." He said, offering her his arm. "Let's go find the rest of the family, Mum'll be worried sick." She took one last sweeping look around the dormitory she spent eight years in, before taking George's arm and leaving Gryffindor tower.

* * *

 **Hey guys!**

 **I'm SO SO SO SO sorry about the hiatus. School's crazy, and that makes me crazy too. Please review because I'd love to hear your lovely thoughts about it. I have some down time coming up which means I'm trying to catch up on all of my fics, which [spoiler: shameless self promoting] are all available on this site so please check them out it would mean the world. Hope to see y'all soon!**

 **xx Liz**


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